Oscillating toothbrush with twisted support rod



Nov. 5, 1968 w. KLANG 3,408,671

OSCILLATING TOOTHBRUSH WITH TWISTED SUPPORT ROD Filed Sept. 21, 1966 INVENTOR WILLIAM KLANG 4,1, W, W; BY

' ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,408,671 OSCILLATIN G TOOTHBRUSH WITH TWISTED SUPPORT ROD William Klang, 1371 E. 85th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11236 Filed Sept. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 580,945 3 Claims. (Cl. 1522) This invention relates to improvements in oscillating toothbrushes of the manually driven type.

In my prior US. Patent No. 3,261,047, there is disclosed a mechanically driven oscillating toothbrush in which the beneficial effect of brushing the teeth by an oscillating brush motion up and down with regard to the teeth, is obtained by helical slots cooperating with pins extending from a reciprocable and oscillating brush handle. This invention is an improvement on mechanically oscillating toothbrushes of this type in which the oscilla tion is obtained by cooperation of a twisted intermediate portion of a brush support rod and a non-circular opening complementary to the section of the twisted portion in One end of a tubular handle. This provides for a smooth and comparatively friction-free oscillating motion of the brush bristles as the tubular handle is reciprocated relative to a brush support rod while the brush is frictionally held against the users teeth. The improved toothbrush of this invention also includes flushing holes in the tubular handle to allow the handle to be flushed clean of any accumulated toothpaste or the like and stops to limit the reciprocation of the brush while it is accomplishing its oscillating motion.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved oscillating toothbrush with the twisted support rod of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the oscillating toothbrush of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the handle of the brush with the brush support rod positioned therein;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawing, an oscillating toothbrush 10 of the mechanically actuated type includes a brush support rod 12. This brush support rod has an offset end portion 14, an intermediate twisted portion 16 which is non-circular in section, as shown in FIG. 6, and is twisted as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, as well as an end portion 18 which is oval in section. The usual toothbrush bristles 20 are carried by the offset end portion 14.

The brush support rod 12 is reciprocable and oscillatable within and relative to a hollow tubular open-ended handle 22. The handle 22 includes an open rear end 24 and an open front end 26 which front end is a particular shape complementary to the non-circular cross section of twisted portion 16, as shown in FIG. 6. Thus the front opening 26 supports and guides the twisted portion 16.

A bearing 28 is provided on the inside of tubular handle 22 and cooperates with reduced diameter of cylindrical portion 30 of rod 12. A shoulder 32 and stop 34 on rod 12 cooperate with the sides of the bearing 28 to determine the extent of reciprocating or axial movement of rod 12.

The tubular handle 22 may be provided with a front flushing hole 36 and rear flushing hole 38 to flush out or rinse out any accumulated toothpaste which might tend to prevent good operation.

In use, a user positions the toothbrush with the bristles 20 in the mouth on or adjacent to teeth and grips handle 22. Handle 22 is then reciprocated and during the reciprocation opening 26 cooperating with the twisted portion 16 of rod 12 causes the rod to oscillate and hence the bristles 20 will oscillate cleaning the teeth in the approved fashion.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without depatring from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A manually operated oscillating toothbrush compris- (a) an elongated brush support rod of plastic material,

(b) the rod including an offset end portion, an intermediate twisted portion which is non-circular in section, and an opposite cylindrical end portion,

(c) bristles carried by and projecting from the offset end portion,

(d) a hollow open-ended tubular handle of plastic material,

(e) a hearing within the handle for slidably and rotatably journaling the cylindrical end portion of the rod, and

(f) one open end of the handle having an opening configuration complementary to the non-circular section of the intermediate twisted portion, this opening cooperating with the intermediate twisted portion to impart oscillation to the rod and to the bristles when the rod and handle are reciprocated relative to one another.

2. A toothbrush as in claim 1 further comprising, at least one flushing hole through the wall of the tubular handle.

3. A toothbrush as in claim 2 further comprising stops carried by the rod on opposite sides of the bearing for cooperating with the bearing to limit the relative reciprocation of the rod and handle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 738,487 9/1903 Rolph et al 15-26 1,683,871 9/1928 Curtis 1526 3,261,047 7/1966 Klang 15-22 EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MANUALLY OPERATED OSCILLATING TOOTHBRUSH COMPRISING; (A) AN ELONGATED BRUSH SUPPORT ROD OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, (B) THE ROD INCLUDING AN OFFSET END PORTION, AN INTERMEDIATE TWISTED PORTION WHICH IS NON-CIRCULAR IN SECTION, AND AN OPPOSITE CYLINDRICAL END PORTION, (C) BRISTLES CARRIED BY AND PROJECTING FROM THE OFFSET END PORTION, (D) A HOLLOW OPEN-ENDED TUBULAR HANDLE OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, (E) A BEARING WITHIN THE HANDLE FOR SLIDABLY AND ROTATABLY JOURNALING THE CYLINDRICAL END PORTION OF THE ROD, AND (F) ONE OPEN END OF THE HANDLE HAVING AN OPENING CONFIGURATION COMPLEMENTARY TO THE NON-CIRCULAR SECTION OF THE INTERMEDIATE TWISTED PORTION, THIS OPENING COOPERATING WITH THE INTERMEDIATE TWISTED PORTION IMPART OSCILLATION TO THE ROD AND TO THE BRISTLES WHEN THE ROD AND HANDLE ARE RECIPROCATED RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER. 